Mary Majka Scholarship Recipients Announced
JULY 16, 2020 — On June 26, 2020 during Nature NB’s virtual Annual General Meeting, the Mary Majka Scholarship recipients for the 2020-2021 school year were announced. The recipients are Hannah Haynes-MacDonald, Sophie McTiernan-Gamble, Allison Pugh, and Charlotte Toner.
About the Scholarship
Nature NB announced the establishment of the Mary Majka Scholarship Fund in June of 2014 to honour the legacy of Mary Majka, one of its founding members and President from 1980-84. The Fund’s purpose is to further youth engagement with nature and our natural heritage, one of Mary’s primary interests.
The Fund is open to New Brunswick students from middle school to those attending an undergraduate program. It is hoped that annual awards can be granted ranging from $250 to $1,000, depending on the number of applicants and funds available.
Three types of scholarship are offered:
- The first category is open to high school graduates about to start post-secondary studies in the field of natural sciences with an interest in nature and the environment.
- The second category is available to post-secondary students already enrolled in the field of natural sciences with an interest in nature and the environment.
- The third category is open to students in middle or high school wanting to further their knowledge in the natural sciences and would be given as a contribution to cover specific expenses such as a special project, study course, or participation in a workshop.
About the 2020-2021 Recipients
Forty-seven students applied this year. The Committee recommended that study scholarships be awarded in 2020 to Charlotte Toner of Fredericton and Sophie McTiernan-Gamble of Hampton in category 1, and to Allison Pugh of Fredericton and to Hannah Haynes-MacDonald of New Maryland in category 2, each for an amount of $500.00.
Hannah Haynes-MacDonald will start her third year studying Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of New Brunswick with the goal of a Master’s degree or possibly a Ph.D. Her passion has always been education and working with children and her ideal career path would be educating young people about the environment and reconnecting them with nature.
Sophie McTiernan-Gamble will study Environmental Science at Mount Allison University in September with the goal of pursuing a career that addresses the critical issue of climate change and other environmental problems. Sophie has always enjoyed exploring the outdoors and has developed a deep appreciation for the natural world and its importance to our personal and collective wellbeing.
Allison Pugh has always loved nature and was described by one of her high school teachers as a leader by example that made it “cool” to wear hip waders and dig in the bottom of a brook with bare hands. She will begin her fourth year of study in the Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources program at the University of New Brunswick, majoring in water management and minoring in biology.
Charlotte Toner will attend the University of New Brunswick this fall to begin work on a BSc. that she feels will provide the foundation for an eventual Ph.D. in zoology. Nothing excites her more than a day spent outdoors in nature, no matter what the season. She hopes to work in the conservation field.
Nature NB is proud to support Charlotte, Sophie, Allison and Hannah in their studies and congratulates them on their accomplishments to date.
Donate Today
Donations to the Mary Majka Scholarship Fund can be made online at www.naturenb.ca/donate or by cheque to Nature NB at 61 Carleton Street, Suite 3, Fredericton, NB, E3B 3T2. Nature NB is a New Brunswick non-profit, charitable organization and charitable receipts are issued.
